Met Gala 2026: Stars Bring Art-Inspired Looks to the Met Stairs

The 2026 Met Gala took place on May 4 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, celebrating the opening of the "Costume Art" exhibition. A host of celebrities including Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Blue Ivy Carter, Serena Williams, Janelle Monáe, Venus Williams, Ciara, Anderson .Paak, Naomi Osaka, Yseult, Anok Yai, Jon Batiste, and Suleika Jaouad arrived at the museum's iconic stairs wearing art-inspired looks. The event was covered by photographers Evan Agostini and Charles Sykes for the Associated Press.

Gulistan at GNAMC of Rome

Chinese artist Gulistan, based in Beijing, presents her solo exhibition "Time Garden" at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art (GNAMC) in Rome. Curated by Gabriele Simongini and supported by the Foundation for Chinese Art in Italy and the International Federation of Women Artists 923 Art Space, the show explores a fusion of Eastern and Western aesthetics through painting, drawing on the legacy of the Silk Road. The exhibition features series such as "Fragments of Time," "The Nature of Memory," and "Memory of the Portraits," blending Chinese ink traditions with classical Western portraiture and archaeological motifs.

Want to visit Wakanda? Step inside the Walters’ new ‘Black Panther’ exhibit.

The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore is launching "Douriean Fletcher: Jewelry of the Afrofuture," an exhibition featuring the intricate metalwork and costume designs from the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Black Panther franchise. The show highlights the work of self-taught artist and metalsmith Douriean Fletcher, whose collaboration with Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth Carter helped define the visual identity of Wakanda. On display are iconic pieces such as Nakia’s gold-plated brass necklace and Queen Ramonda’s silver bodice cage, alongside new works created specifically for the museum.

Trans Art Fest Brings Over 120 Trans Artists To NYC

Trans Art Fest has launched as a major citywide celebration in New York City, featuring over 120 transgender artists across more than a dozen exhibitions and 20 public events. Running through late May, the festival includes gallery shows at venues like Eleventh Hour Art and Puffin Brooklyn, alongside outdoor installations, glassblowing workshops, and community-driven projects. Founded by textile artist and curator Carter Shocket, the initiative seeks to move beyond fleeting visibility by establishing a sustained, multi-week presence across Brooklyn and beyond.

Art-in the-Park in Uvongo draws crowd

The South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal is experiencing a surge in artistic activity this holiday season, anchored by the popular monthly Art-in-the-Park event in Uvongo. Local art club Art by the Sea, which has fostered South African talent for over 50 years, is holding a season-long exhibition at the Southcoast Mall, while the Margate Art Museum and Sands Gallery are hosting concurrent showcases of regional painting and sculpture.

46th Annual Student Exhibition highlights diverse range of student artwork

The Brown Arts Institute has launched the 46th Annual Student Exhibition at the Granoff Center for the Creative Arts, featuring a diverse array of multimedia works, sculptures, and installations. Juried by artists Tarik Bartel and Jinghong Chen, the exhibition showcases student talent across various disciplines, with Alex Schupak taking first place for his multimedia sculpture "Impression/Expression." The show highlights themes ranging from the reliability of photographic truth to explorations of gender dysmorphia and childhood.

Mangkuluhur ARTOTEL Suites Unveils "Weaving The Unseen" Art Exhibition: A Solo Debut by Ratih Alsaira

Mangkuluhur ARTOTEL Suites in Jakarta has opened a solo exhibition titled "Weaving The Unseen" by local artist Ratih Alsaira. The show, featuring ten primary works, explores the resilient strength and multifaceted nature of women, using tailoring and domestic crafts as central metaphors. It runs from February 13 to May 30, 2026, at the hotel's ARTSPACE gallery.

A Design Industry Powerhouse Pivots to Open a New York City Gallery

Michael McGraw, a prominent figure in the design public relations world, is opening a new gallery called Dernier Cri on New York's Upper East Side. The space debuts on January 29, 2026, with an exhibition titled "Night Shift," featuring sculptural works by artists including Julian Mayor, Casey Johnson, Todd Marshard, Jessie Nelson, and Marit Harte, all rendered in a single black palette. McGraw, who has spent years shaping narratives for design studios and brands, describes the gallery as a physical extension of his work as a design publicist, aiming to showcase compelling art and design that inspires interior designers.

Why is the French government spending millions on art no one sees?

The French government agency Centre national des arts plastiques (CNAP), established in 1982 to support living artists and collect their work, has come under scrutiny following two opposing government reports. A July white paper by Martin Bethenod recommended refocusing CNAP's acquisitions on France-based artists and galleries, while a November report from the Cour des Comptes by Julien Aubert found the agency financially fragile and redundant, noting that 24,472 works—one quarter of its collection—have never been exhibited. Aubert recommended closing the CNAP by 2030, sparking backlash from over 1,000 art professionals who signed an open letter criticizing the ideological attack on public cultural service.

Paris exhibition presents exceptional jewels—but Louvre heist treasures missing from line up

An exhibition titled 'Dynastic Jewels' opens at the Hôtel de La Marine in Paris, showcasing over 130 exceptional jewels dating primarily from 1800 to 1920. The show includes pieces linked to Catherine the Great, Queen Victoria, and Prince Albert, many displayed in the city for the first time. However, three major treasures—an 1853 pearl and diamond tiara and two sets of pearl earrings belonging to French Empresses Eugénie and Joséphine—are missing after being stolen from the Louvre Museum in October 2025. The exhibition draws loans from the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Al Thani Collection, which occupies the venue under a long-term contract with the Centre des Monuments Nationaux.

Best of the Year: Check Out the Most Voted Exhibitions of 2025

A public poll with over 8,500 votes has determined the top ten exhibitions of 2025 in Brazil. The number one spot went to conceptual artist Ana Amorim's show at MAC USP, followed by Goya Lopes' exhibition at MAM Bahia in second place. Other notable entries include a group show "Floresta de Espíritos" in Salvador, Thiago Martins de Melo's first solo exhibition in his hometown São Luís, and the Monet exhibition at Masp, which broke visitation records with 502,642 visitors. A special highlight is "Memórias do Inconsciente" by Jhonyson Nobre at Sesc Arapiraca, the only exhibition outside the initial shortlist to make the top ten. Maria Bonomi at Paço Imperial received the most votes according to public comments as a bonus.

Heritage experts call for international task force to plan Palmyra rebuild

Heritage experts, antiquities officials, and Syrian community members convened at a conference organized by the University of Lausanne and the Aliph foundation in Switzerland, marking the first comprehensive international meeting on Palmyra since the fall of Bashar Al Assad's regime in 2024. The group issued recommendations including the creation of an international expert task force to work toward removing Palmyra from the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger, and outlined three key priorities: rehabilitating the looted and damaged Palmyra museum, restoring artefacts currently held at the Damascus Museum, and repairing the foot bridge to the site. Aliph executive director Valery Freland aims to begin work in January 2026.

The new ARTE Museum at Chelsea Piers is a must-see immersive experience: How to get tickets

ARTE Museum New York has opened at Chelsea Piers, a 52,000-square-foot immersive digital art experience created by the Korean art-tech studio d’strict. The exhibition, themed 'Eternal Nature,' features multisensory rooms with lifelike digital waterfalls, blooming flowers, ocean waves, jungle animals, and a tornado, using cutting-edge projection mapping and interactive technology that responds to movement, sound, and scent. Visitors can also enjoy an interactive animal sketching station and unwind at the ARTE Tea Bar. The museum has locations in Miami, Las Vegas, and Dubai as well.

October at the Torch Theatre gallery: Local artist Sam Farmer’s first exhibition

Local artist Sam Farmer, a former primary school teacher from Pembrokeshire, will hold her first-ever art exhibition at the Joanna Field Gallery inside the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven this October. Titled "Under Pembrokeshire Skies: Seascapes and Stones," the show features paintings inspired by the Welsh landscape and the concept of Cynefin—a sense of rootedness and belonging. Many of the works also appear in her recently published children's book, "Little Puffin’s Pembrokeshire Home." The exhibition runs from October 4 through the end of the month.

Benalla Art Gallery to close but temporary gallery to open

Benalla Art Gallery is set to close its current location, but a temporary gallery will open to ensure continued access to art for the community. The article also highlights local artist Lisa Brand, whose passion for mosaics is inspiring students in Benalla and the surrounding district, with her works potentially enduring for centuries like ancient mosaics.

Carbon Strata: Billings artist finds meaning in carbon and chaos in Yellowstone Art Museum exhibit

Billings artist Jon Lodge opened his solo exhibition "Carbon Strata" at the Yellowstone Art Museum (YAM) on September 5, 2025. The sprawling multimedia show fills one of the museum's largest galleries with works climbing walls, filling skylights, and spilling onto windows and outdoor spaces, exploring abstraction and the elemental concept of carbon as a unifying thread in life and matter. Lodge, an 80-year-old multimedia creator with a decades-long career, has a long history with YAM as a supporter, donor, and collaborator, including a solo show in 1999.

Before You Now: Jessica Wimbley

The Vincent Price Art Museum is hosting 'Before You Now: Capturing the Self in Portraiture,' an exhibition drawn from LACMA's collection that explores self-portraiture through over 50 contemporary American artists working in photography, prints, drawings, video, and installation. The show includes a video series featuring artists like Jessica Wimbley, who discusses her work 'Cabinet Portrait: Wife Portrait' (2022), a large-scale reimagining of a 19th-century cabinet card bridal portrait that centers Blackness in American material culture by depicting herself in a non-traditional black wedding dress. The exhibition runs through August 30, 2025, with a related collage workshop led by Kalli Arte Collective on August 23.

Bad Bunny’s residency gives local artists the chance to tell Puerto Rico’s real history

Bad Bunny's months-long concert residency in Puerto Rico, titled "No me quiero ir de aquí," has inspired a free art exhibition called "De Aquí Nadie Nos Saca" in the Santurce barrio of San Juan. Organized by the Latinx advocacy group Mijente and the art collective AgitArte, the exhibition features local Puerto Rican artists and organizations and serves as a spiritual companion to Bad Bunny's album "Debí Tirar Más Fotos." It highlights the island's everyday societal struggles, resistance movements, and cultural preservation amid colonialism and gentrification, with contributions from the theater collective Papel Machete, which created a giant puppet featured in Bad Bunny's music video for "La Mudanza."

French government adopts bill for restitution of colonial-era objects

The French government has adopted a bill that facilitates the restitution of cultural objects plundered from former colonies, eight years after President Emmanuel Macron pledged to return African heritage. Presented by Culture Minister Rachida Dati, the bill maintains that French public collections are inalienable but creates an exemption for items taken by force between 1815 and 1972. Restitution requests must come from foreign states, be for public preservation and display, and involve items allegedly stolen, looted, or sold under duress. A bilateral scientific committee will examine each case, with final approval from the Conseil d'État. The bill aims to replace the current slow, case-by-case legislative process that has resulted in only 30 objects returned since 2017.

Art Basel unveils gallery list and key highlights for its 2025 Miami Beach show

Art Basel has announced the gallery list for its 2025 Miami Beach edition, featuring 283 premier galleries from 43 countries and territories. The fair, taking place December 5-7 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, includes 48 debut exhibitors and will debut the new Art Basel Awards, presented in partnership with BOSS. The event will highlight Latinx, Indigenous, and diasporic artistic positions, with a strong focus on the Americas, including galleries from New York, Los Angeles, and Latin America.

Monica Rodriguez: Californiana

Monica Rodriguez's exhibition "Californiana" at the de Saisset Museum explores the colonization of California from 1542 to 1846, focusing on the missionization period (1769–1833) when Native Californians were forced into labor within the Alta California Mission system. The installation features twenty-one adobe bells planted with native California plants, architectural plans, and photorealist drawings of historical texts from the Mission Library Collection, all critiquing the colonial mindset and its enduring impact on the land and people.

Fort Worth’s Como public art project showcased at international exhibition

A public art installation from Fort Worth, Texas, titled "Do Something Good For Your Neighbor," has been selected for display at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition — La Biennale di Venezia in Venice, Italy. The weathered steel pavilion, located on Lake Como in Fort Worth's historic Como neighborhood, was designed by Matt Niebuhr and David Dahlquist of the Art Studio at RDG Planning & Design. Built in 2021 and owned by Fort Worth Public Art, it is one of 54 projects featured in the exhibition "PORCH: An Architecture of Generosity," commissioned by the U.S. State Department and organized by the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas, in partnership with DesignConnects and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. The installation honors community leaders William H. Wilburn, Sr. and Amon G. Carter Sr., and features custom carved benches with phrases from a historic local newspaper.

P. S. Art 2025: Celebrating the Creative Spirit of New York City Kids

P. S. Art 2025, now in its twenty-third year, marks the eighteenth edition hosted at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The juried exhibition features 137 works—including collages, drawings, paintings, and sculptures—selected from nearly 1,000 entries by New York City public school students from prekindergarten through grade 12, representing all five boroughs and District 75. The show highlights student creativity, close observation, and technical skill, with support from art teachers and partners Studio in a School and The Met.

9 must-see Seattle art exhibits for the next month

This article highlights nine visual art exhibitions in Seattle for June, curated as staff picks to embrace themes of change, regeneration, and healing. Featured shows include "Taking Care: Embrace with Tenderness" at Seattle University's Hedreen Gallery, which closes next year when the building is razed for a new museum; "Jill Kyong: Between Spaces" at SlipStitch Studio; "Mel Carter: bitter, the mourning" at Gallery 4Culture; "Gina Ariko: Ikebana and the Art of Resilience" at Gallery 110; "Healing Our Roots" at The Fishbowl gallery; and "Third Eye" at Base Camp Studios, among others. The exhibitions span photography, glass art, floral arrangements, and group shows, all free and open to the public.

Student Visual Arts Exhibit at Autry Museum to Feature Local Student Artists

Student artists from 33 schools across Southern California, including several from the San Fernando Valley, will showcase their work at the ninth annual Student Visual Arts Exhibition at the Autry Museum of the American West. The exhibit, running from April 26 to June 1, features 191 pieces selected from 510 submissions, curated by Katherine Herman, the museum's senior outreach manager. The theme is "Visions of the Future," asking students to imagine the future of Los Angeles and the American West. The opening reception on April 26 includes the Barrio Mobile Art Studio from Self Help Graphics and Art, student DJs, and art-making activities.

Berlin Institutions Join Together to Form Museum Quarter

Berliner Institutionen schließen sich zu Museumsquartier zusammen

Several museums in Berlin are joining forces to form a new "MuseumsMeileMitte" (Museum Mile Mitte) district. The participating institutions are the Museum für Naturkunde, the Hamburger Bahnhof, the Futurium, and the Medizinhistorisches Museum der Charité. The initiative will launch on June 13 with a neighborhood festival offering free admission to all four venues, which are located within a 10-15 minute walk of each other near the Hauptbahnhof.

Hamburg Gallerist Jenny Falckenberg Dies Unexpectedly

Hamburger Galeristin Jenny Falckenberg unerwartet gestorben

The Hamburg art world is mourning the sudden passing of gallery owner and art agent Jenny Falckenberg, who died in her sleep at the age of 45. The daughter of the late legendary collector Harald Falckenberg, she had established herself as a significant force in the German contemporary art scene, known for her ability to bridge the gap between established figures and emerging talent.

Outsourcing a service is not prohibited, but managing the provider's employees is

Externaliser un service n’est pas interdit, diriger les salariés du prestataire l’est

A wave of legal complaints has been filed against several major French cultural institutions, including the Louvre, the Pinault Collection, and the MuCEM, alleging illegal labor practices. Labor unions Sud-Culture, SUD-PTT, and Solidaires claim these museums are engaging in "illicit lending of labor" and "bargaining" by exercising direct authority over outsourced staff from third-party agencies like Marianne International and Pénélope. While outsourcing services like ticketing and reception is legal in France, the lawsuits argue that museums are illegally managing these external employees' daily schedules, rotations, and disciplinary actions as if they were their own staff.

Lauren Laz Appointed to the Works Department of the Beaux-Arts de Paris

Lauren Laz nommée au département des œuvres des Beaux-Arts de Paris

Lauren Laz, a 47-year-old art historian specializing in prints and director of the Musée Angladon in Avignon since 2015, has been appointed director of the collections department at the Beaux-Arts de Paris. She succeeds Kathy Alliou in overseeing the school's vast holdings of nearly 450,000 works and volumes, which carry the prestigious "Musée de France" designation.

Pajaro Valley student art exhibit showcases artistic skills of all grade levels

The Pajaro Valley Unified School District held an opening ceremony for its Annual Art Exhibition at the Watsonville Civic Plaza, showcasing hundreds of works by students from transitional kindergarten through high school seniors. The exhibition, which will remain on display for up to a year, features a variety of media including watercolors, charcoal drawings, photographs, collages, and mixed media, with subjects ranging from local landmarks to portraits of Frida Kahlo and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Art teachers like Itzel Vega of Landmark Elementary School collaborated to curate projects that represent each school, highlighting student creativity and problem-solving, such as first grader Aleyda Carrillo's collage of a crowned brontosaurus.